Knitting keeps me grounded, distracted, happy and productive. Being fast just helps me support my habit ... I knit like everyone else, one stitch at a time and I love each and every one of them.

Monday, May 7, 2007

Start Spreadin' the News

I need your help to get the word out. The Toronto Spiders would love to have your moral support, but some friendly faces in the crowd cheering us on would be even better!!As incentive we'll make it a contest. Copy and paste the last 3 paragraphs (making sure to include the link to the Pickering Museum - we want to make it easier for people to know where to go!) into a blog entry. Leave your link in the comment section and your name will go into a virtual hat. It doesn't matter where you live - I just really want to blanket the knitting world with the details of this marathon.The prize is yet to be determined - a skein or two of something perhaps. Definitely something knitterly.

So. Have at it please!!

On Sunday, May 27, the Toronto Spiders will take up the International WoolChallenge (Back to Back Competition) for the fourth consecutive year. Thiscompetition, involving teams around the world, requires that a sheep beshorn and the fleece spun, plied, and knitted into a sweater (according to astandard pattern) in one day.

After two years at the Ontario Handspinning Seminar and a year at Toronto'sRiverdale Farm, this year the Toronto Spiders will be at the PickeringMuseum in Greenwood, as part of their Opening Day. The team is made up ofWannietta Prescod (the Fastest Knitter in North America in 2005 & 2006), BarbaraAikman, Julia Lee, Judy Pergau, Denise Powell, Karen Richens, and LorraineSmith of Spinners Quarterly. Our shearer is Bob Comfort, and Joan Kass and Judy Findlay will beour timekeepers and educators. We look forward to having lots of interestand support from passers-by. Like all Back to Back Challenges, we will beraising money for cancer research.

We will be attempting to beat our Canadian record time of 6 hours, 51minutes, and 15 seconds, so hope to finish some time between 4 and 5 p.m.If you are in the neighbourhood, please do drop by and wave, say "Hey y'all", but don'texpect us to stop what we're doing to chat with you until the sweater is done!